Navy Destroyer Damaged in Collison Will Take 2 Years to Fix (But Will Get Massive Upgrade)

Time well spent.

USS Fitzgerald (DDG-62), an Arleigh Burke-class destroyer that was damaged last year during a collision that cost the lives of seven sailors, has arrived at Pascagoula, Mississippi, for repairs. The massive destroyer was transported from Yokosuka, Japan, onboard a heavy lift vessel called MV Transshelf. The vessel arrived in Pascagoula on Jan. 19.

“Fitzgerald is expected to spend several days in the Port of Pascagoula as the heavy lift ship will commence the reverse operation of unfastening, lowering and guiding the ship off the platform,” the Naval Sea Systems Command said in a statement. “The ship will then be taken to its designated pier space at Huntington Ingalls Industries shipyard.”

Because the ship will be in repair for a lengthy period, the Navy will also modernize the vessel while it is in drydock. “Due to the extent and complexity of the restoration, both repair and new construction procedures will be used to accomplish the restoration and modernization efforts. Various Hull Mechanical and Electrical (HM&E); Command, Control, Communications, Computers and Intelligence; and Combat System equipment, including the electronic warfare suite, radar, switchboard, gas turbine generator and air condition plant, require repair and/or replacement,” NAVSEA states.” Fitzgerald will also receive HM&E; Combat System; and Command, Control, Communications, Computers, Collaboration and Intelligence; upgrades that were originally planned for installation during a fiscal year 2019 availability.”